The interception of an enemy target, such as an unmanned aerial system (UAS), has often employed casting of a net to entangle the target. Other targets may include people, vehicles or boats to be ensnared by a net. Simply dropping a net or launching the net at these targets can be risky and ineffective. Both methods are risky either from a delivery standpoint or from a duration standpoint of increased reaction times (in the case of boats). Capturing boats and entangling their propellers with a net is either done by launching a net in the water or by dropping it from an aircraft in the hopes of ensnaring the target. However, in both cases, the net would have to be deployed directly in front of the boat in order to be successful. Given enough room, an incoming boat could easily navigate around a net and escape, or just be missed by the net. Current counter unmanned aerial systems (CUAS) techniques include dragging nets from larger UAS's in the hopes of ensnaring smaller drones inflight. Unfortunately a major flaw in this approach is the need of a well-trained pilot to try to catch a much lighter, faster, more maneuverable UAS. This task is difficult at best. Another technique is to shoot a net at the threat directly from another UAS. However, a drone-mounted net launcher would be too heavy and have a limited range. As a result, it would require the larger, less maneuverable UAS not only to be in close proximity of the threat, but also to be aimed accurately. The problems are compounded when trying to ensnare many, or a swarm of drones, with one net.
The results of initial testing show that the warhead of this invention can be launched (currently in a 40 mm configuration) and can successfully engage a UAS threat. The performance of this invention goes further than any previous system proposed which merely launches a net directly at a UAS.